1.25am
3 December 2011
Can anyone out there tell me who is the redheaded guy who is holding the lyrics for John on the rooftop during the song don’t let me down??? He must be related to someone on the staff but I can not get the answer. This has been bothering me for a long time..Thanks everyone!!1
Note by Ahhh Girl 17 May 2015: The rehead guy has published a book about his time with The Beatles. Here’s the thread about the book: https://www.beatlesbible.com/f…..-the-roof/
1.54am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Thru a google search it brought up the name Kevin Harrington, Mal's Assistant.
What raises the query – Mal had an assistant!!? Who knew.
Does that mean that Kevin got Mal the tea who got the tea for the beatles or that Kevin went to the shops for the sugar? What would Mal's assistant do – apart from hold up lyrics in the freezing cold.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
4.42am
1 May 2010
Not really. He was the roadie/assistant, though in a very trusted position. Essentially he and Neil were The Beatles’ right-hand men.
Thanks for the info on Kevin Harrington. I didn’t know that was his name. Here’s a pic I’d not seen before (thanks Google): http://thebeatles.com/#/images….._01_1969_4
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11.57am
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Great finds, mmrm and Joe.
I'd hate to see the job description for Mr. Harrington's title, Production Runner. It was probably just one line, “Do whatever we tell you to do, no matter what, and bloody well like it” or some such.
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
Yeah, runners are pretty much the lowest rung in the TV/film industry. I bet working on a Beatles film wasn’t such a bad gig though.
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2.56am
10 August 2011
Thanks for the tidbit on Mal.
Must have made him feel (relatively) good to have someone beneath him.
He was an “executive” in name only. He earned nothing.
"Into the Sky with Diamonds" (the Beatles and the Race to the Moon – a history)
3.02am
19 September 2010
His pay was £38 a week (just under 2000 a year, before inflation). Now, how much that is now is unclear to me, but the Beatles made some lousy decisions in 1968/9. Keeping Mal’s pay at that (while undertaking a spending binge akin to Tony Clement) was chief among them.
(If you don’t know who Tony Clement is, well, ask, and I’ll tell you. But I rather not bore you.)
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
4.58pm
3 October 2012
Kevin Harrington was the Beatles equipment manager ie roadie even though the only live gig he did was on the roof, (better late than never) He worked for the boy’s on their last three albums and also took care of them when they were in the studio’s working on apple artist’s, such as Mary Hopkins, Jackie Lomax, Doris Troy and Billy Preston, in fact he was with them any time they were working, he certainly did make a lot of tea, and a lot of coffee also, instant by the way, he fed them as well. To say Kevin was Mal’s assistant is wrong, when he started Mal never really touched the gear again, Mal took over the roll that Neil had before apple was started, so as Mal was never classed Neil’s assistant I never classed myself as Mal’s, hope this has cleared thing’s up for you.
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Reviewers
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1 May 2011
kneeler said
Kevin Harrington was the Beatles equipment manager ie roadie even though the only live gig he did was on the roof, (better late than never) He worked for the boy’s on their last three albums and also took care of them when they were in the studio’s working on apple artist’s, such as Mary Hopkins, Jackie Lomax, Doris Troy and Billy Preston, in fact he was with them any time they were working, he certainly did make a lot of tea, and a lot of coffee also, instant by the way, he fed them as well. To say Kevin was Mal’s assistant is wrong, when he started Mal never really touched the gear again, Mal took over the roll that Neil had before apple was started, so as Mal was never classed Neil’s assistant I never classed myself as Mal’s, hope this has cleared thing’s up for you.
This has piqued my interest. Are you Keven Harrington, is this a fan joke (apologies if you really are he), was it a grammatical error, or am i reading too much into it?
If you are the Kevin Harrington who held up lyrics and worked with the beatles then i might have a conversation with someone who talked to the beatles and worked with them. Actually dont tell me as im giddy with happiness at the thought of it. Is that sad?
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Richard"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
6.48pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
10.22pm
3 October 2012
10.42pm
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Firstly you were in a Beatle film. How cool is that?!!!!
Secondly i dont want to hound you with questions (no one likes getting that thrown at them) so i will ask one.
Do you have any influence in getting Let It Be released on dvd? Anything you have on any of the 4 that will cause a rethink? There must be some way to get the damn film out again before im dead.
And welcome to the site, its a honour having someone with your pedigree on the site (yes im being shallow). Hope you enjoy the place and hopefully you will add some of your insider knowledge to the discussions.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
meanmistermustard said
Firstly you were in a Beatle film. How cool is that?!!!!
And welcome to the site, its a honour having someone with your pedigree on the site (yes im being shallow). Hope you enjoy the place and hopefully you will add some of your insider knowledge to the discussions.
My thoughts exactly. Thanks for dropping by, Kevin. Do you have any Apple/Beatles tales you could share with us? Were the Let It Be sessions as grim as they’re normally portrayed to be? And were The Beatles good people to work for?
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6.20am
14 February 2012
kneeler said
Yes it is me and no it’s not a fan joke, hope you haven’t piqued yet.
This is exciting news indeed! <—(It must be strange to see avatars of people you used to work with…lol). Welcome to The Beatles Bible, Kneeler! Thank you for joining our forum: I’m certain you will have much to attribute to our discussions.
"I'm not going to change the way I look or the way I feel to conform to anything. I've always been a freak. So I've been a freak all my life and I have to live with that, you know? I'm just one of those people."
12.47pm
3 October 2012
Thankyou for the welcomes.
3M’s. sorry I have no influence on any thing Beatles.
Joe. For me Shepperton was not grim but it was not a nice place to work after the comfort of Abbey Road . The Beatles were a good band to work for and I still have happy memories of all, they were nice people.
Dipsey. It’s not strange, I have lived with the images for decades, in fact I can’t get away from them. LOL
Shepperton? Not Twickenham?
kneeler said
Kevin Harrington was the Beatles equipment manager ie roadie even though the only live gig he did was on the roof, (better late than never) He worked for the boy’s on their last three albums and also took care of them when they were in the studio’s working on apple artist’s, such as Mary Hopkins, Jackie Lomax, Doris Troy and Billy Preston, in fact he was with them any time they were working, he certainly did make a lot of tea, and a lot of coffee also, instant by the way, he fed them as well. To say Kevin was Mal’s assistant is wrong, when he started Mal never really touched the gear again, Mal took over the roll that Neil had before apple was started, so as Mal was never classed Neil’s assistant I never classed myself as Mal’s, hope this has cleared thing’s up for you.
Can I ask a bit more about this? Sorry for firing questions at you – I hope you don’t mind. It’s rare to get a first-hand account from someone who worked for The Beatles.
Firstly, how did you end up working for Apple? Job interview or friend-of-a-friend? When did you join/leave, and did/do you retain contact with any of the Beatles?
Which Beatles albums did you work for, and what did your day-to-day job entail (if there was ever a typical day) apart from making lots of tea and coffee?
Was Allen Klein as demonic as his reputation suggests?
Have you ever thought about writing your memoirs? Ever other person who ever met The Beatles seems to have done so.
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3.41pm
3 October 2012
Hi Joe. Yeah twickenham, doh. I was a office boy at N.E.M.S. from 1966 and was Brian Epstein’s personal office boy. When Apple was formed I ask Peter Brown if I could move from N.E.M.S to Apple so I was one of the first to move into Wigmore st, Mal informed me one day that the boys were going into the studio that night and could I take a load of food ie; salad stuff, in for him after work. this I did and he invited me in to the studio, scary, the next night I took more food to the studio, without being asked and the following day at apple Mal ask me if I would like to come and work for the band setting up their gear and generally looking after them. Who in their right mind would say no ? This was the start of the White Album and I worked on the next two. A typical day in the studio would start at 6pm setting up, make tea on their arrival stay in studio till I knew they had every thing they needed and were comfortable, then it’s wait and be ready for anything that’s wanted. guitar, sandwich, curry, joint, whatever, believe me it can be boring but then thing’s happen which make it fun.
I was lucky I had nothing to do with Klein. I worked for the Beatles not Apple at that time so no dealing’s no feeling’s about him.
Their has been so much written about the Beatles that I could not add anything new to their story, I have thought about it but I don’t think a publisher would be that interested in my tale. Hope the answers are any use.
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Reviewers
14 April 2010
Way…too…cool
Welcome, Kevin. Sounds like your job description is close to what I imagined it would be upthread with one exception…
Zig said
It was probably just one line, “Do whatever we tell you to do, no matter what, and bloody well like it” or some such.
The exception? I would have bloody well loved it!
kneeler said
The Beatles were a good band to work for and I still have happy memories of all, they were nice people.
All accounts we have read or heard say that the Beatles were miserable during this time. It’s refreshing to hear something positive, other than the music, about those sessions. I’m glad they treated you well. Thanks for sharing!
To the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
5.00pm
3 October 2012
Hi Zig. let me clear up this do whatever thing, one of the reasons they were nice is that it was never do it, but can you do it, in a polite manner, or Kevin/ Mal I need this, a ta would always accompany a job done for them. we would try and do whatever they wanted because that’s what we were paid to do, example, George walked in the studio one evening with dog s**t on his shoe and asked me if I would mind cleaning it off for him, Zig. I didn’t mind at all so I did it. no big deal no problem job done.
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